Josh Berry will not be returning to drive the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry for Wood Brothers Racing at the conclusion of the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Berry announced the news during a Ford Racing teleconference on Wednesday, June 10, as he prepares to make his milestone 100th Cup career start this upcoming Sunday, June 14, at Pocono Raceway.
“The Wood Brothers piece, I’ll just go ahead and put it out there that I will not be back in the 21 car next year,” Berry said. “I’m obviously disappointed about that. They’ve been amazing to work with. They’re amazing people and it’s been such a great opportunity. Obviously, going to Victory Lane for the first time and winning your first race with them will always be really special, but I’m not gonna be back in the 21 next year.”
Berry is the winningest competitor in the CARS Tour and Late Model Stock Tour divisions and a former CARS Tour champion and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race winner from Hendersonville, Tennessee. On July 3, 2024, Wood Brothers Racing announced that Berry would drive the No. 21 Ford, with a multi-year deal that would commence in 2025.
Five races into the 2025 campaign, Berry notched his first Cup career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and delivered the Wood Brothers’ 101st victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The Vegas victory also allowed both Berry and the Wood Brothers to qualify for the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs, and they finished 16th in the final standings.
In 51 starts as a Wood Brothers competitor, Berry has notched one victory, three top-five results, 10 top-10 results and 222 laps led. He is currently in 30th place in the 2026 standings with two top-10 results and an average finish of 26.1. With a 136-point advantage, Berry has 11 regular-season events remaining to carve his way up to the top-16 cutline. In doing so, he will be eligible to make the Chase for a second consecutive year. He also has 21 events remaining as a Wood Brothers competitor this season as he strives to find a new organization to compete with in 2027.
“I’m gonna hit the ground running and working hard to try to find out what’s out there and I’m certainly open and optimistic about any opportunities that come my way,” Berry said. “But, first and foremost, we’re gonna do our best to finish this season strong and leave in a good place.”
Not long after Berry’s announcement, Wood Brothers Racing took to social media to release a statement to confirm Berry’s departure and recognize his contributions since joining the organization.
The plans for both Berry and Wood Brothers Racing for the 2027 season have not been announced. In the meantime, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season for both resumes at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, for the Great American Getaway 400 this upcoming Sunday, June 14. The event’s broadcast is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
